Questions tagged [charging]
320 questions
237
votes
6 answers
Should laptops remain plugged in when their battery is 100% charged?
When your laptop's battery is 100% charged, should you leave it plugged in so any battery power doesn't get used, or will that cause overcharging, overheating, etc.? Should the laptop be unplugged when the battery level is 100%?
I'm asking because…
Click Upvote
- 4,220
73
votes
5 answers
Can I use a charger with more output amperage than the device needs?
I've just bought a portable battery, but the portable battery don't comes with an adapter for the house current; it only comes with a USB cable so I can charge it with my laptop. My mobile phone came with a charger, and I want to know if is safe to…
60
votes
4 answers
Unplug laptop while it is running
Am I "hurting" my HP laptop by leaving it running, unplugging from outlet - walking a few feet and plugging it back in? My brother-in-law says I am.
Donna
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59
votes
8 answers
How do I keep a MacBook battery charged to only 70%?
A chemist told me that a battery should be charged to and used between 30-70%, and its very bad for battery life to completely load or unload it.
He uses a utility program that always keeps the charge of his Lenovo laptop between 30% and 70%.
How…
lhlmgr
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33
votes
6 answers
Do DC adapters consume energy when no device is drawing DC current?
Do DC adapters consume energy when no device is drawing DC current?
Or… Can I leave my mobile (5-20 W) or laptop (40-60 W) chargers plugged in and switched on and hope they won’t draw current if my mobile or laptop isn’t plugged in to the…
Peeyush Kushwaha
- 941
28
votes
4 answers
Is there a USB wall charger that "just works" with every device?
Background
Almost every gadget today is charged over USB. It seems like a good idea since everyone has a computer with USB, but fumbling behind a computer and making sure that computer is on and does not sleep for the duration of the charge is a…
kLy
- 593
27
votes
2 answers
USB Type C Power Delivery Profile - max length?
The new USB-C connector allows for 100W to be delivered to charge laptops etc.
Is there a maximum length for a charging only cable?
The specification talks about cables being less than two meters long:
That seems really short. I know that data…
Terence Eden
- 873
25
votes
4 answers
Will a mobile phone charge faster if plugged into a USB 3.0 port
Will a phone(or any device for that matter) charge faster if it is plugged into a USB 3.0 port compared to a USB 2.0 port?
I know to assist charging you can turn features off(with flight mode) or even turn the phone off but if you need the USB 3.0…
WillNZ
- 687
19
votes
4 answers
How can I tell if a USB-C cable is safe to use?
There's been a lot of press about how some old USB Type-C cables are dangerous. As I understand it, they have the wrong resistor, and that causes the device to draw too much power.
On the other hand, I'd like to get some cheap USB A-to-C cables for…
Journeyman Geek
- 133,878
17
votes
5 answers
How can I guess if a USB cable will power my devices?
I've had problems with one long (4 meter) USB Mini-B to USB Type-A cable not being able to boot a 2.5'' external hard disc due to not supplying enough current. On top of that, the cable used a Type-A to Mini-B adapter for the Mini-B part, which…
Ricardo Sanchez-Saez
- 1,385
17
votes
4 answers
Can I use a USB hub to simultaneously charge a tablet and connect a USB drive?
What I do have (default way of charging tablets: A) vs. what I want to have (B or C):
Can I have it?
It’s a simple thing, so why not?
How else can I use a tablet together with a portable hard disk (or with any USB device in fact) when I run out of…
7vujy0f0hy
- 541
14
votes
8 answers
Can I charge USB devices from a powered hub that isn't connected to a PC?
This will probably sound familiar to most of you...
In my home, we have a whole bunch of devices that can be charged via USB (two iPhones, a BlackBerry, an iPod Touch, etc ad nauseam). We also have a bunch of USB chargers, each of which has a single…
Anodyne
- 243
14
votes
6 answers
Can I charge a computer through its USB port?
Can I charge computers by inducing 5-volt into their USB connectors? Is this possible? I noticed that when my EeePC 900 is off but plugged in charger, there is power coming out of the USB port. Can this be a sustainable way of charging a PC, or a…
jfmessier
- 2,810
13
votes
4 answers
Why does the USB hub need to be connected with my PC to charge my Droid phone?
I notice that my new Motorola Droid phone charges perfectly fine when I connect it to my computer via the USB cable, or if I connect it to a car cigarette Lighter -> USB adapter, or a wall Power -> USB adapter. It also works fine when I connect it…
pkaeding
- 1,490
13
votes
8 answers
Do newer laptop batteries still need to be drained before recharging?
10 years ago when I was doing hardware support it was best practice to fully drain a laptop battery prior to recharging in order to maximize its life. Is this still the case or can a battery now be recharged at any point without worrying about…
squillman
- 8,551